A benefit cheat who illegally claimed £29,000 from a London council while failing to reveal he had a property in Wales and part-owned a farmhouse in France has been found guilty of fraud.

Graham Axford was convicted of three counts of fraud by false representation, relating to housing and council tax benefit claimed between 2003 and 2011 from Croydon council.

Axford, 58, from South Norwood, failed to tell the council he owned a home near Newport and part-owned a farmhouse in Normandy, Croydon crown court was told. He had denied the charges, claiming he did not own the Welsh property and had transferred ownership of the French home to his wife’s name.

Council officers were tipped off after an anonymous source claimed Axford had carried out “considerable renovations to the property in Normandy”. Axford was found not guilty of three other fraud charges. He will be sentenced on March 14.